The deposition of thallium salts, such as the nitrate, on support materials is known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,688 discloses supported catalysts containing thallium ion and the use of these catalysts for the preparation of nitriles by the reaction of nitric oxide and alkyl-substituted organic compounds containing at least one alkyl group directly attached to a carbon atom which in turn is bonded to another carbon atom by a double bond. The thallium has an oxidation state of at least +1 and the supports have high porosity, low surface area and low cracking activity.
More recently in Netherlands Pat. No. 7,506,546 the deposition of thallium trinitrate on an inert solid carrier and the use of these reagents for the conversion of 6-methoxy-2-propionylnaphthalene to an alkyl ester of 2-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl)propionic acid has been disclosed. Suggested supports include Florisil.RTM., neutral alumina and silica gel. McKillop in the Journal of Pure and Applied Chemistry, 43, 463-479 (1975) reports the deposition of thallium trinitrate on celite, neutral and basic alumina, charcoal and Florisil.RTM. and the use of these TTN/support systems for oxidative rearrangement of alkyl aryl ketones to methyl arylacetates.